Almost too easy

Great to see another tree squirrel thread on LRH. It does my heart good to know that guys who regularly kill big critters beyond 600 Yards would also enjoy ESRH.
I kill hundreds every year, almost year round since our season starts in May and runs to the end of February. Fox Squirrel and Gray Squirrel. I use only Subsonic Hollow Points in 22 LR. My favorite rifles are CZ 452 American and Bergara BMR Steel.
It is simply great rifle practice and yes, I do think it hones my field marksmanship for deer hunting.
My family and I eat every single one. We don't even freeze them. They go into the fridge and are cooked and eaten soon after. My wife has become an expert at cooking squirrels. Lately she bakes them covered in the oven and then we Air Fry them...Ummmm, I'm hungry.
Looks like you have great hunting, Jon! We don't have a heavy population of squirrels here in SE Iowa where I hunt. To shoot a daily limit of six is an outstanding day.
 
Most of us go for head shots. Some fellas use sub sonic and some of us prefer high velocity fodder but the game is the same, one shot, one kill.
In 1964 I spent a week in Chicago with Fred Bear at the NSGA show and convention, in the guest/buyer section.
Fred and I were standing by his standing upright mount of his huge polar bear he bow killed. Yeah, I was amazed.
I asked Fred what advice he could offer and he said, "Make the first shot count!", as he smiled. That bear was the only polar bear he killed that didn't have to be finished with a rifle, he told me.
 
Looks like you have great hunting, Jon! We don't have a heavy population of squirrels here in SE Iowa where I hunt. To shoot a daily limit of six is an outstanding day.
When I started squirrel hunting decades ago at 13 years old, the limit was 8. Now the limit is 12! Getting your limit with a 22 is absolutely exhilarating.
 
When I started squirrel hunting decades ago at 13 years old, the limit was 8. Now the limit is 12! Getting your limit with a 22 is absolutely exhilarating.
It sure is!
I work with a fella from Clark County and he offers an open invite to hunt some of his uncle's properties. I am very temped to do so. I used to deer hunt every year in Clark County until some old wounds and injuries caught up with me.

We work at the Army IAAAP in Middletown, IA. The place has great hunting but doesn't allow rimfire or pistol hunting so I pass on hunting there.

Years ago our then CO, a Lt Col, allowed rimfire small game hunting but the next year our new land manager disallowed it and since then, shotgun only.

I .22 hunted that one year and it was great hunting.
 
Last edited:
So is that what they mean when they say they're using "springers" on squirrels? 😂 😂

Kidding. I got a Diana 34 and Beeman HW97 that those little fluffy tailed !@#$'s wished I didn't have. I get at least 6 a year trying to make a home in my attic.
I use my old Topper 48 410 that's around 70 years old now. Or whatever is close that I can reach. We have a few occurrences a year where it seems having A gun loaded with small shot in the corner is useful.
Just last summer I came back from drinking a beer or two up the river. (I live on a river and on weekends we tend to meet up at a shady sandbar and partake of a little refreshment. Well I came in, tied off the boat, and decided on number 1 at the outside toilet before heading up stairs.. Well about mid flow I noticed the leaves started to crawl. I was peeing on a copperhead. I mean close as with my prostate I can barely build pressure to clear my toes. But it was an easy fix. I had the Topper 48 in my hands to take it up to the house. It was a bad day for the Copperhead in my flowerbed.
 
Last edited:
When I was in 7th grade I worked all summer and bought a 1 man Crowboat with electric motor. Momma would drop me off at the river on her way back from lunch break. I drifted the river with my old 870 and my open sighted 22. I'd listen for squirrels in the hickory trees then beach and sneak up on them. I would often limit on ducks and squirrels on these 4 hour trips. Had a lady that helped us that would cook Barbecued Squirrel or Duck and Squirrel perlow (spelling). She could also fry chicken that would make you hurt yourself. Those were definitely the good old days. If I wasn't squirrel hunting or cutting firewood, I would take the bird dogs out and find a few coveys of quail. All within easy walking distance of the house. We won't even talk about how good fried quail, grits and gravy were. I absolutely had it made and didn't know it.
 
WOW did this Thread spread!
I posted years ago about the vendetta i had against squirrels.
I parker our truck 2005 Nissan Frontier outside of the garage by the woods. The woods actually come up to our house. Some squirrels got into my engine compartment and chewed up a wiring harness. Just chewed the wires to the passenger side head lights. thing is there was no extra room to splice the wires. Well that wire harness was a complete harness for all the electrical components & computers. This Nissan had "ONE" Electrical Harness for everything. NO SECTIONS.
I got on the internet to look things up because I fix everything myself. Don't take to a garage.
Well found that had to replace the WHOLE Harness at a cost of $2,000.00+++. I got really mad and inventive. I did splice the wiring harness to work then started a campaign to HUNT the cause of the problem. I have to also add that those devils got into my Tractor FEL & Back Hoe and got the wiring in that engine.
I got out our TC Classic .22 and also our Volquartsen 17 HMR. I kept a Score Board with hits and misses. The rule was that i could not shoot a little devil under 50yds and as far as I could see them. First up was the TC .22LR. I shot 50 then switched over to the 17HMR and shot 50 and kept rotating. After two years the Score was - I stopped at 250 hits for us and 17 for the Devils. Could not believe that I could shoot or have that many squirrels living on our property.
We ate a lot of Squirrel stew and I also used to put the squirrels I shot on a Stump for a pair of Red Tails we had living on our property. Seemed liked when ever i shot, the Red Tails would hear and fly over to the back of our house and perch in a tree next to the Squirrel Stump. for another free dinner.
Still have a lot of squirrels since I stopped shooting and our one eye cat Precious Annie passed.
 
Lance…..dude what kind of squirrel is that??? Like a hybrid skunk cross with a fox squirrel or something. Dang!
Those were my thoughts exactly! And then all these folks start talking about squirrel stew and my mind is just screaming "THATS NOT A SQUIRREL!!! DO NOT EAT THAT THING! NOOOOO!!!!!!" 🤣
 
That might be the only use that I would have for a .270 Win.! 😂 memtb
Don't know how we got onto the .270Win. discussion
Todd I think that Craig Boddignton said that his favorite cartridge was the 270 Winchester. I have friends from many years ago that have Rem 760 Pump in .270. I was never a fan of the .270, but liked the 760.
After Winchester came out with the WSMs I got a .325WSM Model 70 (love it) and Jill got a 270WSM Kimber. Jill's 270WSM Kimber is one of the most practical hunting rifles we have. Light. flat shootin, packs a punch. She wanted it for big game and I wanted it for Yotes. Win Win for both of us.
 
Don't know how we got onto the .270Win. discussion
Todd I think that Craig Boddignton said that his favorite cartridge was the 270 Winchester. I have friends from many years ago that have Rem 760 Pump in .270. I was never a fan of the .270, but liked the 760.
After Winchester came out with the WSMs I got a .325WSM Model 70 (love it) and Jill got a 270WSM Kimber. Jill's 270WSM Kimber is one of the most practical hunting rifles we have. Light. flat shootin, packs a punch. She wanted it for big game and I wanted it for Yotes. Win Win for both of us.

No doubt they're good little cartridges….. But, they were much like the 6.5 CM of the day with Jack O'Connor being their sponsor!

I nearly worshipped Elmer Keith and had what was just short of disdain for Jack O'Connor.

Now you know things I've never told my psychiatrist! 😂 memtb
 
Last edited:
Don't know how we got onto the .270Win. discussion
Todd I think that Craig Boddignton said that his favorite cartridge was the 270 Winchester. I have friends from many years ago that have Rem 760 Pump in .270. I was never a fan of the .270, but liked the 760.
After Winchester came out with the WSMs I got a .325WSM Model 70 (love it) and Jill got a 270WSM Kimber. Jill's 270WSM Kimber is one of the most practical hunting rifles we have. Light. flat shootin, packs a punch. She wanted it for big game and I wanted it for Yotes. Win Win for both of us.
I have a Remington 760 in .30-06 my father gave me back in 1984. I started calling it my "family unit rifle". When I lived in Alaska you could take 5 deer and 5 caribou. Took a bunch of mom and the kids up there. Had to have inch and a half cut off the barrel and get it reblued from the salt water. I hunt off horses these days here in MT and couple years ago my mount decided he had an itch that couldn't wait and went to the ground rolling with me still on him. Bent my barrel. Local smith said he thought he fixed it but as it warms up second, third, fourth shot keeps walking to the right. It's but a cold bore shooter now. So now the 760 is retired. No barrels I can find for it. I took more game with that rifle than all the rest I have added up.
 
Top